Drew Findling is a Past President of NACDL, current trustee of the NACDL Foundation for Criminal Justice, and the 2018 recipient of the prestigious Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award, which is given to one criminal defense attorney in the country each year by NACDL
Drew is the founding partner of The Findling Law Firm, P.C., based in Atlanta, GA. The firm tries cases ranging from complex white-collar crimes to serious violent felonies. Drew spent the first three years of his career as a public defender refining his legal and courtroom skills before transitioning to private practice. For the next 35 years, Drew has represented clients in state and federal courts across the country, as well as in international matters.
As a Fulton County, Georgia public defender, he was a leader in developing the battered woman syndrome defense. Nationally, Drew was the first attorney to successfully employ that defense based exclusively on verbal abuse. For his efforts, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL) awarded him their Indigent Defense Award. In recent years, Drew and his team have successfully represented a bevy of high-profile clients including basketball icons: Dennis Rodman and Shaquille O'Neal; NBA standout Montrezl Harrell, NFL star Alvin Kamara; Grammy Award Winner Cardi B, Grammy Award Nominees Faith Evans and Rod Wave, Emmy Award Winner Katt Williams, Grammy Award Winner Tiffany Haddish, and Actor/Comedian Mike Epps. Hip Hop superstars such as NBA Young Boy, Gucci Mane, Glorilla, Waka Flocka, the late Young Dolph, Offset, Quavo and the late Takeoff from the Grammy-nominated group Migos, Jackboy, Da Baby, Trippie Redd, Boosie, Lucci, and Lil Baby have all leveraged Drew’s renowned legal expertise.
Drew has also represented clients such as Morris Brown College President Dolores Cross, Fulton County, Georgia Sheriff Jackie Barrett, Clayton County, Georgia Sheriff Victor Hill, former State of Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, and former President Donald Trump. Notably in 2023, Drew and his team secured a full acquittal in a 23-count federal indictment in the Northern District of California.
Drew is a member of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers (ABCL), the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL), and the American Bar Association (ABA). He also served on the Board of Advisors for the prestigious National Clearing House on Science and Technology of Law. Drew received the NAACP's Civil and Human Rights Award and a commendation by the Legislative Black Caucus of Georgia for his continued service to justice.
Due to his success in jury trials, appeals, and post-conviction work, Drew’s firm has been consistently named to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law Firms list, Georgia Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite, Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Top Lawyers in Georgia, as a Georgia "Super Lawyer" by Atlanta Magazine, and one of the Best Lawyers in America© in criminal defense. Most recently his trial prowess, professionalism, and integrity were recognized when he was invited to become a fellow to the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL).
In his more than 30 years of practice, Drew has published numerous articles and become a highly sought-after speaker, delivering remarks in more than 40 states across the country. He has spoken extensively on topics such as race in the criminal justice system, combatting collateral consequences of convictions, defending battered woman syndrome cases, jury selection in high profile cases, forensic preparation for a criminal trial, effective opening statements and closing arguments, professionalism, and advanced cross-examination. Drew has lectured at Emory Law School, Georgia State University College of Law, and the University of Georgia Law School. He has served on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College and previously taught at NACDL's White Collar Criminal Defense College at Stetson and Tulane University Law School’s Pre-Trial Criminal Litigation Boot Camp.
Drew has been featured in The National Law Journal, The Daily Report, Law 360, The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Washington Times, The Seattle Times, the New York Post, The New Yorker’s “On the Run,” Sky Sports, Rolling Stone, Axios, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Fast Company, Bloomberg News, the BBC, and The Times (UK). His television and social media appearances include CBS News, MSNBC, VICE News, and VLADTV. Billboard Magazine recognized Drew as one of the Power Players in the R&B and hip-hop industry. The Hollywood Reporter listed him as a Power Lawyer and one of the Hollywood Reporter's Top 20 Troubleshooters. In 2024, Forbes Magazine named Drew to their inaugural list of the Top 200 Lawyers in America.
